The long-simmering tensions between the Justice Department and the White House escalated this morning when the President lashed out at Attorney General Jeff Sessions for failing to do what Trump expected him to. which was to abuse his position to protect Trump and his team from the repercussions of their alleged collusion with agents of the Russian Federation and the myriad of financial crimes that they had committed on the side.

“I put in an attorney general who never took control of the Justice Department. Jeff Sessions, never took control of the Justice Department. It’s sort of an incredible thing,” complained Trump in his interview with FOX and Friends’ Ainsley Earhardt.

“It’s a very, very sad day. Jeff Sessions recused himself, which he shouldn’t have done or he should have told me. Even my enemies say that Jeff Sessions should have told you that he was going to recuse himself and then you wouldn’t have put him in. He took my job, and then he said, ‘I’m going to recuse myself.’ I said, ‘What kind of man is this?'”

A huffing and likely red-faced Jeff Sessions fired back at the President this morning, declaring that he would not take part in the President’s self-serving political games while there was still important racism to be done.

“While I am Attorney General, the actions of the Department of Justice will not be improperly influenced by political considerations. I demand the highest standards, and where they are not met, I take action.”

The unusually strong language from the Attorney General hints at a greater rift between the once-close allies, which is even more significant in light of a new Bloomberg report that reveals that two top Senate Republicans, Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) are signaling to the President that they would approve of him replacing Jeff Sessions after the midterm elections.

“The president’s entitled to an attorney general he has faith in, somebody that’s qualified for the job, and I think there will come a time, sooner rather than later, where it will be time to have a new face and a fresh voice at the Department of Justice. Clearly, Attorney General Sessions doesn’t have the confidence of the president” said Graham to reporters.

If Sessions feels his job is in danger, he might be inclined to use his power to further invigorate, rather than constrain, the Mueller investigation as a reprisal for the President’s constant abuse and the betrayal of his former colleague.

The firing of Jeff Sessions would pave the way to appointing a new Attorney General who could fire Robert Mueller and put an end to his probe should he get too close to striking gold in his, so it’s of the utmost importance that we keep an eye on this latest outbreak of Republican infighting.